Train for a 5K Walk in 6 Weeks

By Jenna Bergen | Prevention

Are you someone who used to be active, before your third child or second job? Or maybe you were coasting, thanks to a great metabolism, until you realized that, um, menopause really does make a difference.

Either way, we have the workout for you—one that's easy to embrace but tough to beat in terms of solid results. It's good old-fashioned walking, but with a special goal: to complete a 5K walk at the end of 6 weeks.

"Training for a 5K race gives each workout a purpose, so you're more motivated to exercise," says Jenny Hadfield, coauthor of Running for Mortals and the creator of this training program. Having a goal also adds excitement, and walking with a crowd is a lot more fun than hitting the treadmill solo. To make it even more enjoyable, train with your husband, a co-worker, or your best gal pals.

Find your Zero-to-5K-Belly-Melt Countdown training plan below. To slim faster, follow our Walking for Weight Loss eating plan. You'll lose up to 6 pounds by the time you pin on your bib number. Even better: Many women fall in love with racing and go on to drop 20 or 30 pounds—or much more.

See triumphant stories of some of them below, and then get out there. It's time to walk off the weight, for good!

Your Safety Checklist

Just coming off the couch? Do these two things before hitting the road.

Talk to your MD. "Check with your doctor before starting any fitness program to ensure that you're healthy enough for exercise," says Jordan D. Metzl, MD, sports medicine physician and author of The Athlete's Book of Home Remedies.

Do a quick fitness self-assessment. If you can walk 15 minutes at a pace at which your breathing is labored but you're still able to speak, you're ready to train for a 5-K. Too challenging? Start with daily 5-to 10-minute walks and slowly build to 15 minutes 3 or 4 times per week.

ACTIVE.com is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. ACTIVE also makes it easy to learn and prepare for all the things you love to do with expert resources, training plans and fitness calculators.

Frequently Asked Questions

ACTIVE Advantage is the premium membership program of ACTIVE, designed to support and encourage your active lifestyle by providing exclusive discounts on thousands of activities on ACTIVE. No matter what your passions are, it is our mission to make it cheaper and easier for you to pursue the activities you love.

The 30-day trial of the ACTIVE Advantage membership allows you to check out the program for yourself before starting a full annual membership. During this trial period you have full access to member benefits, including all ACTIVE registration discounts, access to free event entries, gear discounts and more. If you decide during the trial period that you don't want to continue the membership, just let us know. Otherwise, at the end of your 30 day trial we will extend your member benefits for a full year at the current annual membership fee.

If you sign up for the 30-day ACTIVE Advantage trial membership you'll receive full access to all member benefits during your trial period. When the 30 days of the trial are up, your benefits will automatically upgrade to the annual membership which currently costs $64.95 per year. That's less than $6 per month to enjoy the program all year round.

Members can receive discounts when registering for events on ACTIVE.com.

Simply follow the steps below to redeem your discount

Step 1: Find an event on ACTIVE and login. Use the ACTIVE directory to find an event. Click the login button in the upper right corner of the event details page. You will be re-directed to a login screen. After logging in, you will be sent back to the event details page.

Step 2: Click the "Register Now" button to sign up for the event. Complete all required registration fields and proceed to payment screen. When logged in as an Advantage member, your discount will automatically apply at the end of registration.

Step 3: Submit registration and receive discount. The discount amount will display in your shopping cart and will be deducted from your registration fees. The registration discount will vary and is excluded from some events. If the discount does not appear in your shopping cart, the event is not eligible.